Gravity-car control for mine-hoists



v D. F. LEPLEY. GRAVITY CAR CONTROL FOR MINE Holss.'

APPLICATION FILED MN. 22, 1921.

` Patented May 31, 1921.

2 sums-SHEET 1.

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INEM RN lm D. F. LEPLEY, GRAVITY CAR CONTROL FOR MINE HOISTS,

.APPLICATION FvILED JAN. 22. 1921.

2 SHEElS-SHEET 2.

Y DANIEL n LEPLEY, or coN'NELLsviLL'n, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAVITY-can coNfrieoi. ron i/iiNEriois'is.

Application inea January 22, 192i. seriainuaaazoe 4 To all 'wim/m it mayconcern.'

Be it kno-wn that l, DANIEL F.' LEPLEY, a citizen 'of the United States,residingfat Coimellsville, in the county of Fayette andA State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Gravity-Car Control forMine- Hoists, of which the following is a specilication. A

This invention relates to apparatus 'for supplying mine cars to thecages of a mine" hoist and constitutes a continuation in part of anapplication filed by me on January 29, 1920Serial No. 354,847:

One of the objects of the invention is to combine with a caOingrapparatus of "the general type shown, for` exainplepin Patent No.1,233,070 issued to me onduly 10, 1917, an arrangement of tracks andCrossovers `so constructed that asl cars are successively` uncoupledfrom a trip standing on one of the tracks, they can be directedsuccessively to either of two caging mechanisms, Vthe grades of thetracks being designed to give the cars the proper moment-uni atdifferent point-s during their approach to the caging mechanism andduring their travelV from said mechanism to the waiting cage.

A further object is to provide a gravity car controlled system whichwill hol'dithe cars under vabsolute control without the use of brakemechanism other than the ordinary stop doors of the eager. n

' A still further object is to provide a cager in which a car Visstopped on arising grade but is-started on a descending grade thereby toinsure a quick getaway 'from the eager to the waiting cage. j

With the foregoing and other objects in View `which will appear as thedescription proceeds, theinvention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de-yscribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of whatis claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown canbe made without departing from the spirit Vof the invention.

in the accompanying drawings Athe preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

ln said' drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view showing in dia'- gram thegravity controlled system comerally at y5 Vand V6.

bine'd with a pair of cagesand a Vertical mine hoist. l v

Fiom in side'elevation.

of the cages forming a ratus. v i

Referring to the figures' by'characters of reference 1 and 2 designateapair of cages.

2 is a diagram showing the control F ig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation`of one part of the'appa#y adapted to work in opposite directions ;re-.

spectively within the shaftcof ,a mine.`

Arranged on the'iioor ofthe mine next toeach hoist compartmentand-'atthe receiving or loaded car side is a eager. through l each ofwhich extends one ofi a pair .of tracks indicated at 3 and 4. The cagers .are of like construction and are indicated genbottom thereof,with bearings 8 in which is journaled'the main v shaft 9'of the eager.r`

horns 12 pivoted, Yas at V13, between angleA structure 7 and' rails 14.mounted on. the longitudinal yokes 15 securedvv tothe outer sides ofthe rails. .'.EachfoIf-the horns has a As shown in F ig. 3 eachcagercomprises a supporting structure 7' provided, adjacent-its center,and at the L counterbalancing weightlextending from the pivot endthereofand vnormally inclined downwardly as shown in Fig. 3. i

A compression spring 17 is Vinterposed between the intermediate pivot 18 of the toggle and one end of thestructure 7, and pivotally connectedto the pivotk 18 Vis a rod 19 attached tothe depending arm of the bellcrank 2O fulcrumed in a bear-ing 2l.. The

other arm of this bell crank extends forf wardly beyond the structure 7.and has an operating dog 22 pivoted thereon. A rod 23 connects thisdogto an arm 24 depending from a transverse shaft 25 carried by theupper pofrtionV of the structure 7. weighted -arm 26 is extended in onedirection from said shaft and a tripping treadle 27 extends in theopposite .direction from the shaft and close `to the outer side of oneof the rails 14 so as to be held bythe weighted `arm 26 normally in theVpath of the wheels of a car meunted on the rails 14.

The dogs 22 onthe two cagers normally 2, respectively, so that wheneither oi the cages is brought to its loading stage, it will comeagainst the upper end oi the dog22 thereunder and thrust it downwardl1thereby causing the dog to operate the bell crank 2G and thrust throughthe rod 19 against the toggles. rl`hus the springs 1"( will be placedunder compression and the horns 12 lowered to release the car restrainedthereby. As soon as the cage leaves the loading stage the springs 17will return all their parts to their initial positions, restoring thehorns l2 to their holding positions as shown in' 3 where they will be.securely held by the toggles, it being obvious, by referring to 3, thatwien the toggles are in supporting positions, their middle pivots 18 arepast the dead centers and the toggles thus torni rigid supports for thehorns.

lt will be noted that the rails 14 are not straight from end to end.lnstead they are inclined from above the pivots 13 and downwardly towardthe delivery end 0i the eager at approximately a tive per cent. gradewhile those portions oi the rails extending from above the pivots 13 tothe other end ot the cager are approximately level. `'Che upper faces otthe horns are so shaped that when the horns are in their raised 0rnormal position, they will provide continuations or' the level top tacesof the rails and then curve upwardly to form top extensions 12. Theinclined portions of the rails lei have been indicated at 28 while thelevel portions have been indicated at 29.

ln practice it has been found desirable to have each eager extend aboutten feet from the mine shaft. For a distance oi about thirteen Jfeetback from the caging apparatus each oi the tracks S and i is preterablyconstructed at a one and one-half per cent. grade, as indicated at 3G.For approximately six feet back of this grade each track is preferablyconstructed at about a three per cent. grade, as shown at 31. A shortstretch of track, about "r'our feet, is then provided at approximately aone per cent. grade, as shown at 32 and then for a distance ofapproximately twenty-tive ieet the tracks are constructed at about a oneand one-halt1 per cent. grade as shown at 33. .lt is at this point thatCrossovers 3e are pre vided, the same being constructed with l 36adapted to be operated switches 35 anc by hand and whereby cars can bedirected from either track onto the other track. For approximately tenfeet beyond the one and one-halt per cent. grade 33 the tracks areconstructed with a three per cent. grade, as shown at 37, this grademerging into a two per cent. grade extending through approxi* mately onehundred twenty-five feet as indicated at 38. From there back the trackscan be of any grade suicient to allow the trips of cars properly togravitate although it h as been found desirable to have this grade notto exceed one and one-halt per cent.

l/Vhen a trip o' cars approaches the shalt on either of the tracks 3 ore it is stopped at the switch 35 or 36 and the first car is uncoupledand permitted to gravitate onto the cager 5 where it will be brought toa stop with its iront wheels resting on the horns and above and out ofcontact with the in clined portions 28 of the rails lil. The switch 35is then thrown and the second car o'f the trip uncoupled and directedalong the crossover 34 onto the other track where it is brought toposition on the eager. rlhe cars of the trip-are thus distributed backand forth 'from one track to the other so as to stand uncoupled but incontact in two groups or series, the iirst car of each group or seriesstanding on one or the cagers with its front wheels held elevated by thehorns 12;

As soon as the weight oic a descending cage has actuated one or' thedogs 22 so as to shift the toggles and abrutly lower the horns 12 sixoperations take place in rapid succession as follows:

First, the two iront wheels o1 car n andL which are supported inelevated 'position by the horns 12, drop down to the live per cent.inclined portion 28 of the track.

Second7 the weight or the car with its two front wheels resting` on thehorns, acts to force them down instantly and compress the spring 17 soas to relieve the other nieclr anism of this work.

Third, the sudden lowering of the iront end or car c to the live percent. grade gives it a forward impulse and a quick start hefore the cagehas quite landed on the shaft bottoni. rllhis forward impulse willimpart sufficient forward movement to the car a to cause it to bump theempty car e oria of the cage so that the car L can take its place.Consequently the caging time can be reduced to three or 'tour seconds inthis way.

Fourth, after the car a has moved oil o? the eager far enough iter therear wheels to clear the limits oit 'the horns 12, the wkheels pass overyamil bear down on tres 24.

" his acts to release the spring 1i", which was held under compression,to huir-k turn the toggle to its vertical or lozlriuiz position so thatthe horns will thus be elevated and secured position for engagement bythe next car.

' l gfth, immediately atteicar a l "s been released from the cager car cwhich is mounted on the three per cent. grade, will move along saidgrate and push the car FZ ahead of it over the one and one-half percent. grade 30, onto and over the level portion of the eager trackindicated at 29, and onto the curved portions of the horns which timethe "front wheels of the car will be supported approximately one inchyeo above the five per cent. incline 28 thereunder. At this time car cwill pass onto and over the one and one-half per cent. grade while bothcars b and @will lose headwayto such an extent that Y they willpractically come to an easy stopwithout shock or jar when the frontwheels of ,theV rstV car b move upwardly onto the curved portions of thehorns.

Sixth, immediately upon the landing of the cage and release of the car afrom the eager, a loaded car which has been held at the front end of atrip on the three per cent. grade indicated at 37, is released by anattendant. This car starts quickly and drifts down over the crossovertrack section or else straight forward, along the approximate one andone-half per cent. grade indicated at 83 and comes against the car c, asindicated at ZZ whereby the cars are held pressed forwardly with thefront wheels of the front car pressed upwardly on the inclined portionsof the horns l2 where they are held by the pressure of the cars.

Obviously both sides of the apparatus are operated in a similar manner,those cars distributed along the track 3 toward the eager 5 beingarranged and operating similarly to the cars on the track 4f and eagert5.

lt has been found in practice that with two cager equipments. such asshown and the proper arrangement of grades, three or four cars can becaged and hoisted per minute with two men on the loading side of thetrack.

It is to be understood that the grades shown are only approximate andthat the length of the various track sect-ions Vand the percentages oftheir grades will depend on conditions such as length, weight, andrunning gear of the cars in use, etc.

This system will permit a man located at the grade section 37 to handlean entire trip of cars by gravity, stopping and uncoupling them at thatpoint and directing the single cars down to the cages.

What is claimed is 1 l. The combination with separate oppositely movablehoist cages, of a caging section adjacent the path of each cage andincluding a track having one end portion level and the remaining portionwhich is nearest the path of the cage being inclined downwardly towardthe delivery end thereof, stop dogs on said caging section for holdingthe front wheels of a car elevated above the horizontal and overhangingthe inclined rails of the track, said dogs being movable to drop thefront wheels of the car onto the inclined trackY and thereby impart anlabrupt initial impulse to the forward movement of the carfrom thecaging section and onto the cage platform. Y

2. The combination with separate oppositely movable hoistcages, oftracks leading to the shafts of the respective cages, means wherebyuncoupled cars can be distributed from either tra-ck to vboth tracks, acaging section included in each track and close to eachcage shaft, eachIcaging section including a level track sectionV and a section vinclineddownwardly toward the lcage shaft, stop Vdogs forming a partv of eachcaging section and.r constituting means for holding the front wheelsv ofa car elevated above the horizontal and -overthe inclined portion of thecagingsection, the said tracks having variable grades for causing carsto gravitate to the respective cagingl sections, a car on one gradeconstituting means for holdingy another car in tilted position onthestop dogs.

separate oppositely movable cages, of parallel tracks leading to theshafts, caging sections supplied by the tracks and v each including alevel portion, a portion inclined downwardly toward the shaft, and dogsextending above and beyond the level portion, `Crossovers connecting thetwo tracks, each track having a down grade of approximately three percent. leadingto the crossover section of the tracks which isapproximately at a one and one-half per cent. grade and leadssuccessively to approximately a one and one-half per cent. grade, athree Vper cent. grade, a one and one-,half per cent.

grade and thence tothe level portions ofthe caging sections, said tracksconstituting means for V'distributing loaded cars from either track to`both tracks, thereby to line up the cars along the two tracks 'with onecar on each track held with its forward end elevated above the fivel percent. gradev by the elevated dogs, said carA being forced to elevatedposition yby the pressure there- 3. rlhe combination with hoist shaftsand against of one of the following cars located n on a three per cent.grade.

4. The combination with a caging section having a level track portion, adownwardly inclined track portion and stop dogs for holding the' frontwheels of a car elevated above the level portion of the track and overthe inclined portion thereof, of a track leading to the caging sectionand having meetingv portions of different percentages of grades wherebya loaded car move at a moderate speed, come almost to a stop, move'ontoa grade of suiiicient per cent.l to start the car forward againbygravity, thence onto a reduced grade tomove the car at a moderatespeed to the level-portion of the caging section.

In caging apparatus the combination with a track having one end portioninclined downwardly toward the delivery end there-- will start fbygravity,

of, stop dogs having their free end portions v V upturned and havingstraight wheel supporting sni'faces normally suppoted llieve theinclined end portion et" the track, means for Suppoiting the dogs inelevated position to hold the trent Wheels of :L een above and ont etContact with the inclined end portion of the track, and means foi1ieleasingg' the clogs to drop the font Wheels of the cal onto theinclined portion of the track tlieeby to impart an abrupt initialimpulse to the 'for- Wnrcl'inovernent of the can from the appi# 10zttns.

ln testiineny that l claim the oregoing es my Own, l have hereto affixedmy Signature in the pieeence o two Witnesses.

DANEL l?. LEPLEY.

Witnesses W. H. SOISSON, BARNETTE BURKHARDT.

